Heavy/Bravo Whitney Rose.
Whitney Rose is mourning the loss of one of her most beloved family members. On January 21, 2024, “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” revealed that her grandfather Bill has passed away.
Rose, 37, shared the sad news with fans on her Instagram story. The RHOSLC star posted a photo of her grandfather wearing a cowboy hat as she paid tribute to him.
“I have had probably one of the busiest weeks that I have ever had,” Rose captioned the photo. “Tbh it has been a rough one. I have had to just put my head down and push through it despite how emotional it has been. We lost our sweet grandpa Bill on Monday and I have had to just compartmentalize the loss until today. Love you grandpa. Thank you for all of this sweet memories. I am going to miss you.”
Whitney Rose’s Grandfather Was 92 Years Old
Rose’s grandfather, William “Bill” Robinson, was the father of her mother Jolene Lesh. According to his obituary, Mr. Robinson died on January 15, 2024 at the age of 92. Rose’s grandfather, a lifelong resident of Utah, passed away peacefully in his sleep at his ranch in Birdseye, Utah. He was predeceased by his wife, JoAnna, who died in 2019.
Robinson had five children, 21 grandchildren, 63 great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren. He worked at a steel mill before retiring in the early 1980s to embark on a new career with his wife as an Appaloosa breeder.
Per his obituary, Robinson was “a cowboy in every sense, a Viking in spirit, and a family patriarch whose love will forever echo through the fields and hearts he touched.”
Whitney Rose Has Talked About her Difficult Relationship with her Parents, Steve & Jolene Lesh
Rose has talked about her family dynamic in the past. On the first season of RHOSLC, Whitney’s father, Steve Lesh, moved into the home she shares with her husband, Justin, and kids Bobbi and Brooks, amid his struggles with addiction. The two later had a falling out.
Rose’s mother, Jolene, appeared in the season 4 episode ”Don’t Come for My Sound Bath” in scenes filmed at Bobbi’s 13th birthday party.
At the season 4 reunion, Rose noted that having her mom at the birthday party was a big deal following a long estrangement. “There was a good decade where — and [I’m] sorry, Mom, because we’re in such a better place now, but I have to speak the truth. There [were] birthdays where my mom didn’t even text me, or Christmases, and that was very hard,” Rose said, per BravoTV.com.
“Having a toxic father and then not a relationship with my mom, for us to be able now to work on it, build on it, and, like, she texts me about the show and all the time how she’s proud of me,” the RHOSLC star added. “We finally were able to have a very honest conversation about my childhood, and a big factor was removing my father.”
Rose said that working things out with her mother last year was a “huge” step for her family.
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‘Real Housewives of Salt Lake City’ Star Whitney Rose Mourns Loss of Beloved Family Member